Sameer Dighe's selection to the national team was a controversial one. At 31, Dighe had all but given up hopes of a career in cricket and was studying in the USA when the call came. Shortly after the Indian team's departure to Australia in the 1999-2000 season, Dighe was picked to don the gloves in the one-dayers. In the limited-overs games he played, Dighe bagged seven catches and one stumping in eight matches. In one game against Pakistan, Dighe shone with four catches. However, it was not until Australia toured India in 2000-01 that Dighe got his first taste of Test cricket. Playing the decisive third and final Test
against Australia at Chennai, Dighe had an ordinary time behind the wickets. However, with the Test winding to an exciting climax, Dighe found himself at the crease with the tail on the final day. Batting through a tense session that saw Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie steaming down, Dighe made a courageous unbeaten 22 as India recorded a historic 2-1 series win. At the preparatory camp for the Indian tour of Zimbabwe, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly remarked that Dighe would be India's first choice wicketkeeper. The skipper stayed true to his word and Dighe was picked as stumper for the Tests and one-dayers in Zimbabwe in mid 2001. Without being spectacular, Dighe performed his duties satisfactorily keeper and batsman. Promoted to open the innings in the second innings of the second Test at Harare, Dighe managed just 4. However, his ability with the bat came to the fore in the final of the Coca-Cola Cup in Zimbabwe, when the Mumbaikar slammed an unbeaten 94 in a losing cause against the West Indies. This is the highest score by a specialist keeper for India in One-Dayers and has
earned Dighe the mantle of first choice keeper for the tour of Sri Lanka in
July-August 2001.
Anand Vasu